Air distribution devices



H. E. STRAUB ETAL AIR DISTRIBUTION DEVICES May 25, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 29, 1964 FIG.4

Iii/$1.5

INVENTORS. HAROLD E. STRAUB EUGENE F. AVERILL y 1965 H. E. STRAUB ETAL 3,185,069

AIR DISTRIBUTION DEVICES Filed July 29, 1964 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5

6 L I -7 s2 63 f 58 59 so 7 Is a 5| '11!) III), (III [1110 u l3 l6 l7 FIG. 6 42 4s as 59 5a INVENTORS.

HAROLD E. STRAUB EUGENE F. AVERILL ATT'YS y 25, 1965 H. E. STRAUB ETAL 3,185,069

AIR DISTRIBUTION DEVICES Filed July 29, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIGS L ii 70 w 42 48 FIG. 9

\ zso I L I g FIG. IO

INVENTORS. HAROLD E. STRAUB EUGENE F. AVERILL ATT'YS United States Patent M 3,185,669 AIR DISTRTBUTION DEVICES Harold E. Strauh, Cedar Falls, and Eugene F. Averill, Waterloo, Iowa, assignors to Titus Mwutacturing Corporation, Waterloo, Iowa, a corporation of lowa Filed .luiy 29, B64, Ser. No. 385,875 8 Claims. (Cl. 98-40) This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending application Serial No. 271,728, filed April 9, 1963.

This invention relates to improvements in air distribution devices. More particularly, the invention pertains to improvements in slot diffusers.

Diflusers are the terminal units of air distribution systems, i.e., the devices through which air distributed by an air distribution system of a building or the like is discharged into a room. These diiiusers are connected with the building ductwork. Slot diffusers, like most diffusers, are usually mounted flush in the ceiling of a room although they may also be mounted in a wall or walls of a room.

This invention relates to slot diiiusers and to improvements in structures for selectively adjusting the air discharge pattern :of slot diflusers. The diflusers of the invention are capable of providing selectively a plurality of air discharge patterns, i.e., a two-way horizontal pattern, a one-way horizontal pattern, or a vertical pattern.

The best air discharge pattern for a diffuser in a ceiling depends upon several factors. When the air supplied to the diffuser is warm air, the best air discharge pattern usually is a vertical pattern, i.e., one in which the diffuser air discharge stream is directed outwardly at right angles to the face of the diffuser and the ceiling in which it is mounted. Warm air, being lighter or less dense than colder air, is best directed into the room at right angles to the ceiling to mix it with the cooler air in the lower areas of the room to Warm the latter.

On the other hand, when the air supplied through the difluser is cool air, the best air discharge pattern usually is a horizontal pattern, i.e., one in which the air stream or streams are directed laterally outwardly from the diffuser substantially parallel with the face of the difluser and the ceiling. The greater density of cool air causes it to fall or descend into a body of warmer air. This makes the horizontal pattern the most desirable because the cool air can be spread across the ceiling or a portion thereof. It falls as its velocity drops and ultimately mixes with and cools the warmer air in the lower areas of the room. If a vertical pattern were used with a cool air discharge stream, drafts causing discomfort to occupants of the room may result. Also, the horizontal pattern provides a more even distribution of the cooling air throughout the room and thereby keeps the room temperature more uniform throughout.

In accordance with the invention, the diffusers of the invention comprise a diffuser face with one or more elongated, air discharge slots therein. Walls on the diffuser define air passage(s) communicating with the slot(s). There is an air-deflecting lip or flange along at least one, preferably both, longitudinal edge of each slot, made, for example, by wall portions of the wall forming the face of the diffuser. These lips or flanges are substantially at right angles to the walls forming the air channels of the diffuser and form at the downstream side of the air channel(s) air-deflecting surfaces along the longitudinal edge(s) of the slot(s) substantially at right angles to the flow direction of the air stream(s) in said channei(s).

Positioned in the channel upstream from the slot is at least one, and preferably two, baflle plates or air-deflector vanes. The bathe plate or vane extends longitudinally 3,185fli59 Patented May 25, 1965 at least approximately coextensively with the elongated slot and is pivotaliy mounted to swing about a longitudinal axis whereby it may be pivoted toward or away from the side walls of the air channel. One bafiie plate or vane is sufficient to achieve the basic objectives of the invention, but two, side-by-side battles or plates which have a convex outer, air flow surface along the downstream edge provide improved air patterns.

One of the features of the invention herein claimed pertains to structures of the last-mentioned type wherein the support structure for the curved vanes or plates has, djacent the lower, free edges of said vanes, a cross member serving as a seat or stop member for said free edges and also extending across the central area of the diffuser in the vicinity of and opposite the elongated slot. This presents a hiding surface opposite the slot adapted to give the slot a uniform appearance, especially when the surface is a dark color, whereby the vanes or plates are rendered less noticeable to one looking up into the slot and are screened from the view of one looking into the slot from a distance.

Another feature relates to improvements in structures for supporting the diffuser units on a ceiling or like structure.

The principles and concepts of the invention herein are further described and illustrated in the preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings wherein:

PEG. 1 is a bottom plan view of a double slot diffuser of the invention;

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views taken on section 2-2 of FlG'l and showing, respectively, the positioning of the baflie plates or vanes in the air channels to give (a) a two-way, oppositely horizontal or lateral air discharge pattern, (b) a one-way horizontal or lateral air discharge pattern, and (c) a vertical-horizontal combination air discharge pattern.

PEG. 5 is a section of a modification of a double slot diffuser of the invention showing one air passage and a fragment of a second air passage;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are end elevations of fragments of further modifications of the vane support members;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of a fragment of the difiusers of FIGS. 6 and 7 with the vanes removed;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of a fragment of the diffuser of FIG. 5 with the vanes removed; and

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a snap fastener used in the mounting of the diflusers.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a double slot diffuser l. The face of the dii" user has therein a pair of parallel, elongated, air discharge slots 2, 3. The diffusers of the invention may be made from metal extrusions. The double slot diffuser of the drawing may comprise extrusions 3, 4 and 5 forming the side walls 6, 7 of the diffuser and a middle wall 8 parallel therewith, the gag; 6, 7 and 8 forming a pair of parallel air channels The side walls 6, 7 may have flanges 11, 12, respectively, formed as an integral part of the extrusion along the downstream edge of the respective side wall. When the ditiuser is inserted and mounted in a slot in the ceiling or Wall, the flanges ll, 12 lie against the ceiling or wall adjacent to the slot therein.

The walls 6, 7 each also have at their downstream edge a narrow, longitudinal lip or flange 13, 14 at least substantially coextensive with the respective slots 2, 3. The lips or flanges are directed inwardly into the channels 9, 10, respectively, and their upper surfaces form narrow airdeflecting surfaces substantially at right angles to the air stream in the channels substantially at the mouths of the channels (the slots 2, 3). Air permitted to flow through the channels near the respective wall 6 or 7 is deflected by the lips or flanges 13, 14 into a lateral flow path (shown by the arrows in FIGS. 2-4).

The middle wall 8 has at its downstream edge a longitudinal wall substantially coplanar with the flanges 11, 12. The wall 15 forms lips or flanges 16, 17 extending from wall 8, respectively, into channels 9, 10 at the mouths thereof. Wall and flanges 11, 12 form the face of the diffuser with slots 2, 3 therein. Air permitted to flow through the channels near the wall 8 is deflected by the lips or flanges 15, 17 into a lateral flow path.

The walls 6, 7, 8 may have longitudinal lips 18 near the upstream edges thereof, to which lips may be attached or on which lips may be seated a distributor piece or pieces (not shown) used to connect the diffuser with an air supply duct (not shown). The flanges 11, 12 each may have a longitudinal lip 19, and the walls 6, 7 each may have an L-shaped, longitudinal lip 20. These members form a longitudinally-extending T-slot 21 on v the lower end of the outer side of each of walls 6, 7. The 'T-slots can be used to mount the diffuser on structural members of a ceiling or the like.

In order to selectively control or adjust the air discharge pattern of the diffuser, air-flow-directing means is provided in each channel 9, 10 whereby the air flowing through each channel may be allowed to flow against and be deflected by flanges or lips 13, 14, 1e and/or 17. The member or members employed as the air directing means may be a baffle plate or vane means pivotally mounted in and extending longitudinally in the air channels. The baffle plate or vane means pivots about axes extending longitudinally in the channels, and it may be swung into proximity or actual contact with or away from side walls 6, 7, 8 of the respective channels.

In the illustrated embodiment, an extruded, vane-support bar 22, which in transverse cross-section is like an inverted T, is positioned in the upstream side of each channel 9, 10 approximately midway between the walls 6 and 8 and 7 and 8. The undersurface of the cross-leg of the inverted T, vane-supported member, which extends substantially the length of channels 9, 10, has a pair of round, longitudinal grooves 23, 24, the arc of which is slightly more than 180.

The cylindrical longitudinal edges 25, 26, respectively, of vanes or baffle plates 27, 23 snap into the grooves 23, 24 and are pivotally supported therein. The vanes or baffle plates 27, 28 extend substantially the length of the channels 9, 16. They may be of any suitable shape in transverse cross-section, i.e., flat plates, curvate in transverse cross-section, etc. The best shape for the plates or vanes is one in which the outer, air flow surface of the downstream portion 29, 30 of each plate or vane is offset, preferably convex, in a direction toward the center of the channel. This gives a convex, outer surface, 31, 32 on each vane or plate over which the air may flow with least turbulence; The vanes 27, 28 may be extruded metal vanes of curvate, transverse cross-section. The friction between the grooves 23, 24 and the cylindrical edges 25, 26 of the vanes or baflle plates is sufiicient to hold them in the adjusted position against the force of the air stream.

Thewalls 6, 7, 8 may be supported in the illustrated relationship to each other by any suitable means. For example, the walls 6, 7, 8 may be attached at their ends to end walls 33, 34 of the slot diffuser. The end walls 33, 34 may have, if desired, flange members 35, 36 fitted with and lying flush or coplanar with flanges 11, 12.

The desired air dischargepattern is selected by pivotally positioning the vanes or baflle plates. The supply air flowing into the upstream sides of channels 9, it) is split into two streams in each channel by the vane-support member 22. When the vane or baffle plate 27 of channel 9 and the vane or battle plate 28 of channel 10 are pivoted against or in proximity to the outer walls 6, 7, respectively, of the channels, and when the other vanes of each channel are left spaced from the middle wall & (FIG. 2), a twoway, lateral air discharge pattern results. In this adjusted position, the flow of air adjacent the outer walls 6, 7 of channels 9, 19 is blocked. The air flows through channels 9, 19 between the wall 8 and the members 22 and the vanes 23 or 27, respectively. The air is deflected by lips or flanges 15, 17, and a two-way, lateral discharge. pattern results.

In FIG. 3, the vanes or baifie plates are pivotally adjusted so that air is discharged laterally from each channel in the same direction, i.e., a one-way horizontal pattern. In FIG. 4, the e is shown a vane or baflie plate adjustment providing a vertical discharge pattern from channel 9 and a horizontal pattern from channel It). The vertical pattern results by allowing air to flow between the outer surfaces of both vanes 27, 28 and the side walls of the channel. The lips or flanges 13 and 16 of channel 9 deflect the divided streams of air toward the center of the channel, and the reunited streams form a vertical discharge pattern, i.e., an air stream flowing outwardly from the diffuser at a substantially right angle to the face of the diffuser. The vanes of channel 10 may be adjusted like those of channel 9 to give a vertical pattern from both slots 2 and 3.

Furthermore, when both vanes 27, 28 are pivoted into contact with the side walls of channels 9 and/or 10, the vanes may then serve as dampers blocking air flow through the respective channel(s). Also, the diffusers of the invention may have only a single channel and slot where a two-way horizontal pattern is not required. A double slot diffuser is ordinarily adequate for most needs, but the diffusers of the invention may be three, or even four, channel and slot diffusers, if desired.

The air pattern controllers 27, 28 of the diffusers of the invention are used to adjust the air discharge flow direction over a range of i.e., between a horizontal full left pattern and a horizontal full right pattern. The pattern may also be a two-way (left-right) pattern, a vertical pattern, a combination vertical-horizontal pattern, or an air flow pattern between full horizontal and full vertical. The diffusers are very versatile in their discharge patterns whereby they may be adjusted to fit a wide variety of requirements for air discharge patterns. The vanes can be adjusted at any time after installation of the dilfuser because they are accessible through slots 2, 3.

In the modification of FIG. 5, the diffuser units are supported on an elongated support member 40, e.g., a channel, which may be rigidly mounted in the air supply duct, by means of bolts or screws 42 having their threaded ends 41 threadedly engaged in tapped holes in member 41 The bolts extend vertically through drilled holes 44 extending from bottom to top of the vane support web 43. The head end of bolts or screws 42 comprise a bolt head 45 and a ring or flange 46 of the same diameter as head 45. The head and flange define therebetween an annular recess in which may be seated a removable U-clip 47.

The vane support member 43 may be an extrusion and comprises a central, vertical plate or web 48, with an enlargement 49 in the mid-portion thereof. The lower edge of plate or web 48 has oppositely disposed flanges 50 and a bottom bar 51. The sides of enlargement 49 have longitudinal grooves 53 and 53, each with an arc slightly greater than a semi-circle, in which are rotatably seated the cylindrical, longitudinal edges 54 and 55 of the deflector vanes or baflle plates 56 and 57. The vanes 56 and 57 have the aforesaid preferred shape in which the downstream portions 58 and 59 are curved in a direction toward the center of the air passage to provide convex outer surfaces extending longitudinal of the lower, free edges of the vanes.

The convex curvature is continued onto the convex, lower surface so of bar 51, which also serves as a seat or stop for the free edges of vanes or bafiles 56 and 57.

As in the embodiment aforedescribed, the vanes and vane support member are mounted about midway between elongated walls, specifically the outer wall 6 and the mid-wall 8 in the case of the illustrated double slot diffuser. This diffuser has the flanges 13 and 16 at the outlet end of the air passage defining the air discharge slot. In the case of a single slot diffuser, the structure of wall 8 would be the mirror image of wall 6, e.g., like wall 7 in FIGS. 2-4.

The second passage (not shown) of the slot diffuser of FIG. 5 has the same components therein as in the illustrated passage, the outer wall of the second passage being like wall 7 in FIGS. 2-4. The diffuser assembly for a double slot diffuser comprises outer walls 6 and 7 joined together by end walls like end walls 33 and 34 (FIG. 1). The vane supports 43 and the mid-wall 8 (if any) are supported on bolts 62 extending between the outer walls and are not attached to the end walls. Spacer sleeves 62 and 63 are positioned about the bolt shanks to provide the proper spacing or positioning of the Vane supports 43 and mid-wall 8.

The support of the difluser assembly on bolts 42 offers an advantage in speeding up installation. The bolts can be threaded into the support member 46 before the diffuser is placed in position in the ceiling. This eliminates the time-consuming difficulties associated with feeling out tapped holes and aligning the units so that bolts or screws can be threaded therein. The holes 44 are large enough so that the head 45 and flange 46 will pass through as the diffuser is raised into position. When the diffuser assembly is raised into position, a snap fastener such as the hairpin or U-fastener 47 is snapped over the shank between head 45 and flange 46 with a part or parts thereof beneath flanges 50 so that the diffuser assembly is supported on the bolts 42 through the snap fasteners 47. The bolts 42 can be rotated in such assembly to provide the final adjustments in the mounting of the diffuser in the ceiling or other structure.

The embodiment of FIG. 6 is like in many respects to that of FIGS. 5 and 9. Where applicable, like numerals designate like parts. The lower end of vertical plate or web 48 has an elongated flange 65 on opposite sides thereof, below which is positioned an elongated bar 66 at the bottom edge of web 48. The upper surfaces 67 lightly engage the lower, free edges of vanes 56 and 57 and thereby serve as seat for said edges. The bolts 42 have heads 68 with annular flanges 69, on which rest segments of flanges 50 adjacent the junction of vertical holes 70 and counter bores 71. The holes 70 are large enough to accommodate the shanks of bolts 42 while counter bores 71 are large enough to accommodate the flanges 69 of heads 68. A snap fastener 47 of the aforesaid character may be inserted around each bolt head 68 between flange 69 of the bolt head and flange 65 of the web or plate 48. In this bolt mounting structure, the bolt is threaded into the support after the diffuser has been positioned in the ceiling or the like.

The embodiment of FIG. 7 is like in many respects to that of FIG. 6 and again like numerals designate like parts, where applicable. In FIG. 7, the elongated bar 72 along the bottom edge of web or plate 48 is curved transversely to provide elongated convex lower surfaces 73 against which may be seated the concave, inner surfaces 74 of the curved portions 58 and 59 of the vanes.

It is thought that the invention and its numerous attendant advantages will be fully understood from the foregoing description, and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages, the forms herein disclosed being preferred embodiments for the purpose of illustrating the invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A slot diffuser comprising a pair of substantially parallel, elongated side walls defining an elongated air flow channel therebetween, a lip on the downstream edge of each of said walls, each lip directed inwardly toward the center of said channel, said lips defining therebetween an open, elongated air-discharge slot, vane support means in said channel disposed about midway between said elongated walls, two side-by-side, elongated vanes depending from said vane support means with their upstream edges pivotally supported on said means and with the pivot axes thereof substantially parallel with said walls, said vanes each having a transverse curvature in at least the downstream portions thereof and providing a convex surface facing oppositely outwardly and toward a respective wall, the curved downstream portions of said vanes being in close proximity to but spaced upstream from said slot, elongated seating means extending along the downstream edge of said vane support means and adapted to seat the free edges of said vanes and screening the space between said vanes from the view of one looking into said slot from a distance.

2. A diffuser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said vane support means includes an elongated member between said vanes and said elongated seating means is an elongated bar extending along the downstream edge of said member and laterally outwardly from opposite sides of said member.

3. A diffuser as claimed in claim 2 wherein the free edges of said vanes abut the side edges of said elongated bar and the underside of said bar is a curved continuation of the curves of said vanes.

4. A diffuser as claimed in claim 2 wherein the free edge of said vanes rest on the upper surface of said bar.

5. A difluser as claimed in claim 2 wherein said bar is curved transversely to provide a convex lower surface functioning as a seat for the concave inner surfaces of said curved portions of said vanes.

6. A slot ditfuser comprising a pair of substantially parallel, elongated side walls defining an elongated air flow channel therebetween, a lip on the downstream edge of each of said walls, each lip directed inwardly toward the center of said channel, said lips defining therebetween an open, elongated air-discharge slot, vane support means in said channel disposed about midway between said elongated Walls, two side-by-side, elongated vanes depending from said vane support means with their upstream edges pivotally supported on said means and with the pivot axes thereof substantially parallel with said walls, said vanes each having a transverse curvature in at least the downstream portions thereof and providing a convex surface facing oppositely outwardly and toward a respective wall, the curved downstream portions of said vanes being in close proximity to but spaced upstream from said slot, means securing said side walls and vane support member together as a unit, said vane support member having a plurality of vertical holes therethrough, threaded shank fastening means extending upwardly through said holes, and snap fastener means holding said fastening means on said support member.

7. A difluser as claimed in claim 6 wherein said vane support means comprises an elongated, plate parallel with said side Walls and positioned about midway therebetween, and said seating means comprises an elongated member extending along the lower edge of said plate in the vicinity of the free edges of said vanes.

8. A diffuser as claimed in claim 6, bolts extending between said side walls through said channel and said plate, spacer means on said bolts positioning said plate relative to said side walls, and said plate and said member having transversely extending, bolt-accommodating passages therethrough for receiving mounting bolts for mounting said diffuser by said mounting bolts on a support structure in a ceiling.

No references cited.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SLOT DIFFUSER COMPRISING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL, ELONGATED SIDE WALLS FORMING AN ELONGATED AIR FLOW CHANNEL THEREBETWEEN, A LIP ON THE DOWNSTREAM EDGE OF EACH OF SAID WALLS, EACH LIP DIRECTED INWARDLY TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAID CHANNEL, SAID LIPS DEFINING THEREBETWEEN AN OPEN, ELONGATED AIR-DISCHARGE SLOT, VANE SUPPORT MEANS IN SAID CHANNEL DISPOSED ABOUT MIDWAY BETWEEN SAID ELONGATED WALLS, TWO SIDE-BY-SIDE, ELONGATED VANES DEPENDING FROM SAID VANE SUPPORT MEANS WITH THEIR UPSTREAM EDGES PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ON SAID MEANS AND WITH THE PIVOT AXES THEREOF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL WITH SAID WALLS, SAID VANES EACH HAVING A TRANSVERSE CURVATURE IN AT LEAST THE DOWNSTREAM PORTIONS THEREOF AND PROVIDING A CONVEX SURFACE FACING OPPOSITELY OUTWARDLY AND TOWARD A RESPECTIVE WALL, THE CURVED DOWNSTREAM PORTIONS OF SAID VANES BEING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO BUT SPACED UPSTREAM FROM SAID SLOT, ELONGATED SEATING MEANS EXTENDING ALONG THE DOWNSTREAM EDGE OF SAID VANE SUPPORT MEANS AND ADAPTED TO SEAT THE FREE EDGES OF SAID VANES AND SCREENING THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID VANES FROM THE VIEW OF ONE LOOKING INTO SAID SLOT FROM A DISTANCE. 